Airplane handling device



Jan. 6, 1948.

L. J. MAxsoN AIRPLANE HANDLING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 L/SLE MAxso/v INYENTOR Filed May 18, 1932 ATTORNEY Jan. 6,1948. LQLMAXSON v 2,433,858

AIRPLANE HANDLING DEVICE Filed May 18, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4/545 J. MAxsalv INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 6, 1948. J MAXSON 2,433,858

7 A IRPLANE HANDLING DEVICE v Filed May 18, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 3 L/SLE J. MAXSON Z72 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Jan. 6, 1948 zAsasss AIRPEANEY-HANDIJING DEVIQE.

Lisle 'JfiMaii dn; United StatesNa-vy Applic'atiemMay ls 1932;:seria1- a; 1 1 6 Clainis..- 4C1. 11'4I.-.43'.'5)?

(Gfil'tffl undei tlieact of' 'Maich 3', 18835 115 menaea nprinsu'gr192s: 37:0 G. #7579 Myinvehtidh relatesitoairplane handling 'de' vices" and" 1116113"'p2Htic'i/flarlyv man 31" ail'"plek-" up or mooring gear 'foriis'eon vessels and landing docks.

The principal objeet or m invention i s"'to1pro"-j' vide an airpiane pickp ar mooring" 'de'vicethat can-be easily'an'd' "quicklyfjiiiought finto'" action," or stowed; Whele dtTi S aesireuytomist seaplaneor flyin g' hoatfrom" thefsurface entire-water A ur-menswear'of iny-irrve tion'is t providea deviceadaiitedtdt e -quitk"andifficient hari' 'i oiling" "and stowage seap1an'e's"or""flying'" boats" that I will enable t e-winter an" air'craftto tax into and" engage-"a quick jcouplingfiattachment supported -by a vessel either-while it b under wa'y} oriltiatihg 'infeitliera' rough o'r-calni "sea.

Another obj etbf my inv'entioh is" to provide a device 'whith'fiill' enable the pil of seaplane to taxi 'intd-anid automatically moor his pl'ane" preparatory to *couplingto a, "hoisting" "crane for being hoisted upon a dock or aboard a 'vessel' or othr -flri atu 7 k A '-flit-their bbj bt f rn y in is? 130 pi'Ovid'e a device which Will permit th l iis-tiflg o'f the gear clear of the waterwhen not in use.

Anotherobjectoriny invention is to provide a device which will permit easy .and safe mooring of a seaplane or 'flyi'ngboatto a vessel under way, while. making atransferof passengers; cargo' -or for refueling, etc.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a device that is ruggedgof-light'weight, and one that canibe easily and quickly-raised or lowered fromthestern of a, transjp'cirt'br. other. floating vessel) 7 With th 'above"arrd"other' objects in viewi'th'e invnti'oh "consists in"the. "c onstruetion, combination and arrangement 'of parts? as willbe described more fulli he'reinafter.

Refereneis "to behad td tiiei accompanyin drawings "formingapart of the" snecific'atioii, in which like reference characters-vindicate corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which: V

Fiu-re -l -isa view-- in sidelevation, showing my improved d'eviceforthe mooring of'seaplanes and its position;- relative -t6 -th "stern-' of a vessel or other docking means?- a a'de wi-ll -"bermit th whoring gea'r be forrned try Figure"? is a'de'ta'ilplanj View. V

Figure 3 is an enlarged idetaii fragmentaryplan view'ofthe moorin'gcouplin'g." V

Figure "4isfa'fragmentary"end iviewwith parts of thefmoorinyboup'ling shown in' section.

Referring mbrepartiularly to'the-drawings" It) indicates a portion of't'he stern' of a vessel shown moreor" less diagrammatically; "to" which is attachedjuppenand lower""frame' members'fl' I and; I 2, "ea'cht' bein'g'hrace'd by *dia go'nal 'stiffe ne'is 3 I the float I8 being to provide a guide tmdirsctt ie suitable bulkheads 'and stiffener members "(not Sl'lOW-IIY and is' eqli-ippb with smaii'hydrovane blades-iz extfid'na 'ut' 'at either side' arrdsetat gate-like jaws 25 of the coupling memio'eritlf *tvaterti'ghtri 'ord'ento "have them as light-fin :weigh These jaws '25 "may din tlie c'kend's ZB'around a spindle 2 1 Whih grit also bemade 'of pipe =ha'v-" in'g very" thin wa- -and bin'g pl'iigged at the ends as at' ZWsO aQ tof providei additional-buoyancy bearii'i'g plates: 3 Which engage the-SfiiIfd1eiab0v and below the top and bottom plates secured by screws '32 to th'e float 181 *The-levenarms'fl are 24 of the shank 23 passes up through the space back of the jaws 25 leaving the float 18 free and in readiness for entrance of another airplane, or if it is desired the hook 39 of the hoisting cable 40 may be attached to the ring 42 connected to the structure of the float l8 and the same raised to the broken line position shown in Figure 1 where an-eye 43 secured to the float is engaged by a hook 44 supportedby the vessel which will hold the float [8 in stowed position. I

Provision is made by'the clearance allowed between the width of the pontoon and the vertical inner walls IQ of the float I 8, so that the propeller 45 of the plane 46 will not come in contact, as shown more clearly in Figure 2.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of my invention, and that various changes in the construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be within the scope of the appended claims, and without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention. V

The herein described invention may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalties thereon.

What I claim is: a V

1. The combination with a vessel or dock, of a seaplane or boat mooring bumper, means connecting the bumper to the vessel or dock for vertical swinging movement of the bumper, said means. holding the bumper upright when the bumper is disposed in any one of a plurality of vertically spaced positions so that the bumper may cooperate with seaplanes or boats having bumper members at different levels, guide means for said bumper members onsaid bumper, means at the inner end of said guide means for automatically coupling the seaplane or boat to the bumper upon engagement therewith, and means for elevating and lowering the bumper into any one of said positions.

2. The combination with a vessel or dock, of a seaplane or boat mooring bumper float, rigid parallel links connecting the bumper float to the vessel or dock for-vertical movement of the bumper float between positions of operation and storage, said links being of substantially equal length and vertically displaced relative to each other whereby the bumper float,,when disposed at the water level is held upright regardless of vertical shifting of the water line relative to the vessel or dock, and hydrovanes on said float-for maintaining said float at the surface by the flow of water thereunder. j

3. The combination with a vessel or dock, of a seaplane or boat mooring bumper float, rigid parallel links connecting the bumper float to the vessel for vertical movement of the bumper float, said links being of substantially equal length and vertically d splaced relative to each other wherebyqthe bumper float isheldupright'in any one After the airplane is attached and is being hoisted the head of a plurality of vertically spaced positions so that the bumper float may cooperate with seaplanes or boats of varying characteristics, means for elevating and lowering the bumper float into any one of said positions, and hydrovanes on said float for maintaining said float at the surface by the flow of water thereunder.

4. In a device for coupling a seaplane or boat to a vessel or dock, said seaplane or boat having a prow provided with a forwardly extending pin terminating in a head, a bumper provided with means including horizontally spaced parallel gate-like jaws operating on vertical pivots for receiving and automatically holding said pin, said bumper including convergent walls for guiding the head of said pin through said jaws and for engagement with the sides of the seaplane or boat prow to prevent excessive flsh-tailing of the seaplane or boat in the water when the pin is held between said jaws, and means connecting the bumper to thevessel or dock whereby said convergent walls are held upright.

5. In a device for coupling a seaplane or boat to a vessel or dock, said seaplane or boat having a prow provided with a forwardly extending pin terminating in a head, a vertically swingable bumper on said vessel or dock shaped to provide a vertically elongate trough, said trough being provided with convergent vertical walls for gu ding the pin into the bottom of the trough, means including horizontally spaced vertical gate-like jaws having spaced vertical edges extending along the bottom of the trough for automatically slipping over the head of the pin and thereby holding the pin against retraction from the open side of the trough, said pin being movable vertically be tween said edges, and means connecting the bumper to the vessel or dock whereby said convergent walls are held upright while being swung vertically.

6. The combination with a vessel, of a seaplane or boat mooring bumper provided with a hydrovane for supporting the bumper on the water, rigid vertically spaced parallel links connecting the bumper to the vessel for vertically swinging movement of the bumper, said links being of approx mately equal length whereby the bumper, when disposed at the Water level is held upright and the hydrovane remains at a given angle of incidence regardless of shifting of the water line relative to the vessel.

LISLE J. IflAXSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in' the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

